Gels are used in many applications including cleaning products, such as for surfaces, fabrics, and the like, and air treatment materials for continuous release of volatile air treatment components such as perfumes, disinfectants, bactericides, insecticides, and the like. Typical air freshener gels and gel-based cleaning products incorporate perfumes and other fragrance products to overpower malodors.
Air freshener compositions that absorb malodors have been developed. For example, an alcoholic solution of menthol and lemon oil is known to neutralize offensive odors. Zirconium compounds have been used to reduce odor from primary, secondary and tertiary amines or ammonia. Dialkali monometal organic ligand chelate has been used as an oxidation catalyst in the presence of oxygen to neutralize odor-causing materials. A composition containing diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, glycerin, diethanolamide and an unsaturated fatty acid has been used to absorb odor.
Vinegar is also known to absorb odors and is commonly used in liquid solutions for cleaning and deodorizing. Seaweed-based gels and gel/semi-gel food products have incorporated vinegar in low concentrations to lower pH and/or increase the rate of gelatin.
It would be desirable to incorporate odor-absorbing compositions into air freshening gels and gel-based cleaning products to produce gel-based products that absorb malodor as opposed to masking or overpowering malodors.